Some would call it fun. I called it slightly terrifying. I just finished taking my LOSV course. (Light over snow vehicle…in other words a snowmobile course). I have heard people bragging about going 100km over the snow, jumping ditches, skidding around turns and having a blast on the machines. For me 50-60km was fast enough. Side hill driving is not fun for it always felt that the machine would tip over. The worst part was wearing glasses. They kept fogging up which really doesn’t help me to see where I was going while driving a death machine. So I had to crack my visor a bit to get cool air in. Thankfully it was only -20 or less. (Strange how after living in -50 degree weather -20 feels warm!) Unfortunately the cool air drifting in would start to cause frostbite on my face. If I sat on the machine the windshield blocked the wind. But over bumpy ground you are supposed to stand up for better control. I was constantly fighting the elements and trying to stay alive. Fun is not the word I would use to describe the course.

The good news is that I got a lot of prayer time in. Mostly it was, “Lord…keep me alive!” I was also praying for the group with me, and for the wonderful people I minister to in Yellowknife. At the beginning of the year people would say that this is the year for clear vision 20/20. As I literally fought to see the path I was taking on the snowmobile, I also wondered what path Christ wants us to take in this world. Think about Philippians 3: 15 “So let’s keep focused on that goal, those of us who want everything God has for us. If any of you have something else in mind, something less than total commitment, God will clear your blurred vision – you’ll see it yet!”

Sadly I think a lot of people in our churches just go along for the ride. We may have an official vision statement that sounds wonderful but then we can ignore it. We tend not to think about the direction we are going. We tend to react to situations. Finances are low. We must give more, hold more fund raisers, etc. A Sunday school teacher quit. We must find a new one. I believe it is much better to truly reflect on where we are going and how each of us (not just the session) plays a part in God’s plan for the world. Who knows how the journey will fair. It may be fun. It may be terrifying. As long as the hand is on the throttle we are going somewhere.

Maj (Padre) Kenneth MacRae
Joint Task Forth North – Yellowknife, NWT.